Play-pen for children

ABSTRACT

A playpen, foldable between an open position and a closed position, includes a one-piece molded plastic bottom and a onepiece molded plastic upper rim, with the upper rim being spaced above the bottom in the open position of the playpen. A nylon net is secured to respective hooks molded integrally with the bottom and with the upper rim, and forms the side walls of the playpen. Metal support legs are hingedly secured to the upper rim and are connected to the bottom by hooks having legs engaged in cylindrical sockets integral with the bottom. The upper rim is formed with integral cylindrical sockets to receive legs on a support structure for use in supporting toys or a sun-shade.

I United States Patent ns] 3,656,194 Perego [451 Apr. 18, 1972 [54] PLAY-PEN FOR CHILDREN 3,339,213 9/1967 spencer ..5/98 x [72] Inventor: iuisepp Ierego, Via Buonarroti 20043, Primary Examiner casmir A'Nunberg more ta y Altorney-McGlew & Toren [22] Filed: July 6, 1970 57 ABSTRACT [21] Appl. No.: 52,461 i A playpen, foldable between an open position and a closed position, includes a one-piece molded plastic bottom and a [30] Foregn Applicat'o" Pmrity Data one-piece molded plastic upper rim, with the upper rim being Apr. 17 1970 Italy 23465 A/70 SPaood above the bottom i ho oPoo Position of tho Ploypoo A nylon net is secured to respective hooks molded integrally [52] U's CL l 5 /98R 5 /99 B with the bottom and with the upper rim, and forms the side [51] Int 'Cl A47d 9/00 walls of the playpen. Metal support legs are hingedly secured [58] Fie'ld 9 B 99 93 110 114 to the upper rim and are connected to the bottom by hooks having legs engaged in cylindrical sockets integral with the [56] References Cited bottom. The upper rim is formed with integral cylindrical UNITED STATES PATENTS Tigrett ..5/98 A txif* sockets to receive legs on a support structure for use in supporting toys or a sun-shade.

6 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PAENTEDAPR 181912 3,656,194

SHEET 1 UF 2 iNvENToR GUISEPFE MEG@ HTM? NE YS PLAY-PEN FOR CHILDREN FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to foldable playpens and, more particularly, to a novel and improved foldable playpen which is inexpensive to manufacture, compact to transport, and easily erected.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to provide a foldable playpen for children, comprising the combination of two plastic portions, one representing an upper rim and the other representing a bottom. A net, preferably made of nylon, interconnects the two portions. The playpen further includes metal legs hinged to the upper rim portion and metal hooks for securing these legs to the lower bottom portion, and includes a metal superstructure having legs engageable in sockets in the upper rim portion, and which may be used for supporting toys or for supporting a sun-shade.

For an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference is made to the following description of a typical embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawing:

FIG. l is a perspective exploded view of the playpen folded for storage and transport purposes, and illustrating one leg and the top structure removed from the playpen; and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the erected playpen.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the playpen D essentially comprises metal members 1, 2 and 3, and plastic members D and D". The metal members l constitute legs for supporting the playpen, and the hooks 2 serve to anchor the legs 1 in position when the playpen D is open, as shown in FIG. 2. The metal members 3 form an upper support structure which is adapted to support a sun-shade or the childs toys.

The plastic member D' constitutes a one-piece molded upper rim of the playpen, and the plastic member D" constitutes a one-piece molded bottom for the playpen. Rim D' and bottom D'I are concentric with each other when the playpen is folded. A net R, preferably formed of nylon, is attached to respective hooks integral with the upper rim D' and the bottom D", and forms the wall of the playpen D when the latter is in the erected or upright position.

Each forked supporting leg 1 comprises two rod lengths joined together at an eyelet 1a and terminating in a foot 1c, the rod lengths extending upwardly from foot 1c and diverging above eyelet la. The upper ends of the rod lengths are offset angularly, as best seen in FIG. l, to form ends lb which are bent inwardly at 90 and face each other. The ends 1b are engageable in apertures 8a formed in upright radial webs 8 integral with the upper plastic rim D'. As best seen in FIG. l, webs 8a are arranged in arcuately spaced sets, each set comprising two arcuately spaced pairs of arcuately spaced webs, with each pair receiving a respective leg end 1b.

Net R is supported on respective hooks 6 and 7 formed integrally with the molded one-piece upper rim D' and the molded one-piece bottom D". As will further be noted from v FIG. l, cylindrical sockets 9 are formed integrally with onepiece molded bottom D'I to receive the legs 2a of hooks 2, and similar cylindrical sockets 10 are formed integrally with the one-piece molded upper rim portions D' to form seats for the ends 4 of the rods 3 which are hinged together at 5 to form the support structure for a sun-shade or the like.

As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, one rod length of each leg l extends through a hook 2 whose lends 2a are engaged in respective sockets 9. This permits, by displacing each leg from the folded position shown in FIG. ll and pushing its foot lc downwardly, to slide one rod length of each leg through the associated hook 2 until the hook 2 is engaged in the e elet portion la of the leg. Thus, the playpen D is easily erecte into the open position, or easily collapsed. In the collapsed position, the legs l are folded inwardly as indicated with respect to three of the legs. In the erected position of the playpen, as shown in FIG. 2, the support structure, comprising the legs 3 hinged together at the pivot 5, is easily mounted on the upper rim portion D' by inserting the ends 4 of the bent rods 3 into the sockets 10.

By virtue of its construction, the playpen embodying the invention may be manufactured on a large scale at a relatively low cost, and can be mounted, stored. or transported with considerable ease and without requiring specialized labor. This is due primarily to the fact that the basic plastic framework D, composed of the one-piece molded upper rim D' and the onepiece molded bottom D", can be molded in a single piece by injecting molding, and does not require any further working operations or welding together of parts.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

l. A playpen for children, foldable between an erected or open position and a closed or compact position, comprising, in combination, a one-piece molded bottom; a one-piece molded upper rim; respective hooks molded integrally with said onepiece molded bottom and with said one-piece molded upper rim; a net secured to said hooks and forming the side wall of the playpen; metal legs pivotally secured to said one-piece molded upper rim; and hook means, including components integral with said one-piece molded bottom, connecting said legs to said one-piece molded bottom.

2. A play-pen, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said net is formed of nylon.

3. A playpen for children, as claimed in claim l, wherein said legs are forked and diverge upwardly; said hook means comprising an open metal loop secured to one length of each fork and having a pair of bent ends; and respective pairs of socket members integral with said one-piece molded bottom and each receiving the bent ends of a respective open loop.

4. A playpen for children, as claimed in claim 3, in which said one-piece molded upper rim has a plurality of upright radial webs formed integrally therewith and extending inwardly therefrom, said webs being arranged in arcuately spaced pairs each including two apertured webs, and said pairs being arranged in arcuately spaced sets each including two pairs; the upper ends of each leg being bent inwardly toward each other to form ends each engageable in a respective pair of webs of each set.

5. A playpen for children, as claimed in Claim 1, including a plurality of sockets formed integral with said one-piece upper rim and extending substantially vertically; and a support structure, for a sun-shade and the like, having legs engageable in said sockets.

6. A playpen for children, as claimed in Claim 5, in which said support structure comprises a plurality of metal rods having horizontal legs with inner ends interconnected with each other at a common pivot; each rod further including a substantially vertical leg having an offset end portion engageable in a respective socket on said one-piece molded upper rim. 

1. A playpen for children, foldable between an erected or open position and a closed or compact position, comprising, in combination, a one-piece molded bottom; a one-piece molded upper rim; respective hooks molded integrally with said one-piece molded bottom and with said one-piece molded upper rim; a net secured to said hooks and forming the side wall of the playpen; metal legs pivotally secured to said one-piece molded upper rim; and hook means, including components integral with said one-piece molded bottom, connecting said legs to said one-piece molded bottom.
 2. A play-pen, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said net is formed of nylon.
 3. A playpen for children, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said legs are forked and diverge upwardly; said hook means comprising an open metal loop secured to one length of each fork and having a pair of bent ends; and respective pairs of socket members integral with said one-piece molded bottom and each receiving the bent ends of a respective open loop.
 4. A playpen for children, as claimed in claim 3, in which said one-piece molded upper rim has a plurality of upright radial webs formed integrally therewith and extending inwardly therefrom, said webs being arranged in arcuately spaced pairs each including two apertured webs, and said pairs being arranged in arcuately spaced sets each including two pairs; the upper ends of each leg being bent inwardly toward each other to form ends each engageable in a respective pair of webs of each set.
 5. A playpen for children, as claimed in Claim 1, including a plurality of soCkets formed integral with said one-piece upper rim and extending substantially vertically; and a support structure, for a sun-shade and the like, having legs engageable in said sockets.
 6. A playpen for children, as claimed in Claim 5, in which said support structure comprises a plurality of metal rods having horizontal legs with inner ends interconnected with each other at a common pivot; each rod further including a substantially vertical leg having an offset end portion engageable in a respective socket on said one-piece molded upper rim. 